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Supervisors Approve Tourism Promotion Funding

Transient Occupany Tax Funds to Chamber of Commerce

By Michael P. Neufeld
Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Update - Wednesday 3:55 a.m.

San Bernardino, CA - San Bernardino County Supervisors have allocated $260,000 countywide to local Chambers of Commerce to promote tourism and recreation, utilizing Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) funds.

(Photo by County of San Bernardino.)

Supervisors directed the county's Purchasing Department to issue purchase orders to the following local chambers of commerce to promote tourism and recreation within the County of San Bernardino.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FUNDING

• Big Bear Chamber - $45,799
• Crestline/Lake Gregory Chamber - $9,719
• Fawnskin Chamber - $2,904
• Lake Arrowhead Chamber - $133,717
• Running Springs Chamber - $4,885

The total amount allocated to mountain area chambers is $197,024.

Original Story

San Bernardino, CA - San Bernardino County Supervisors will consider the allocation of $260,000 to promote tourism and recreation, utilizing Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) funds, during their board meeting today, November 3.

Administrator Mark Dowling from the Department of Economic Development will present the distribution plan. The funds go to chamber of commerce's in unincorporated area of the county including Running Springs, Fawnskin, Crestline/Lake Gregory, Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear.

San Bernardino County Government Center (Photo by Michael P. Neufeld.)

This year, a total of 21 chambers and the Bloomington Park and Recreation District are participating in the program that was launched in mid-1070.

Dowling reports that the amount of each allocation reflects the pro rata share of transient occupancy tax revenues generated from lodging facilities within their various service areas. The minimum amount of funding a participating community chamber can receive is $1,000.

Here is the distribution schedule being presented to supervisors with last year's allocation in brackets:

• Big Bear Chamber - $45,799 ($47,907 - $2,108)
• Crestline/Lake Gregory Chamber - $9,719 ($9,879 -$160)
• Fawnskin Chamber - $2,904 ($2,567 +$337)
• Lake Arrowhead Chamber - $133,717 ($133,062 +$655)
• Running Springs Chamber - $4,885 ($4,269 +$616)

Each chamber develops a scope of work describing their tourism campaign and how the funds will be spent. At the end of the fiscal year, the entities are required ti provide a follow-up report describing results of their tourism program.

One of the requirements of accepting TOT funding, each chamber provides a membership to San Bernardino County.

This article was first published on Sunday, November 1, 2009 at 2:14 pm. This article has been viewed 333 times.

Michael P. Neufeld, Senior News Editor, is a graduate of the Dwight Bentel School of Journalism at San Jose State University. His first job out of San Jose State was with the Associated Press in Los Angeles as overnight Radio Editor. Prior to joining RIMOFTHEWORLD.net, Neufeld was editor of two weekly newspapers—THE MOUNTAIN NEWS and CRESTLINE COURIER-NEWS. He also has experience as editor of an employee newspaper for a major utility company and during his tenure as executive director of the San Jose State University Alumni Association served as faculty advisor to the association's monthly newsletter. He also spent eight years in commercial radio doing everything from news to advertising sales and writing commercials to being an announcer and on-air personality. Neufeld is actively involved the mountain communities including serving as master of ceremonies for the Arrowhead Arts Music Festival held each summer.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of RIMOFTHEWORLD.net. This column is copyrighted by Michael P. Neufeld.